Braille writer



April 25, 1939. J. STEFFEN BRA ILLE WRITER Filed July 25, 1938 4Sheets-Sheet 1 April 25, 1939. J. STEFFEN BRA/ILLE WRITER Filed July 25,1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Way. 4

April 25, 1939. J STEFFEN 2,155,777

BRAILLE WRITER Filed July 25, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mam April 25, 1939.J. STEFFEN BRAILLE WRITER Filed July 25, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 PatentedApr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to writing machines and has special reference toa typewriter for the blind.

One important object of the invention is to improve and simplify thegeneral construction of devices of this character.

A second important object of the invention is to provide an improvedconstruction of such a typewriter whereby the user may form Braillecharacters on both sides of the paper and thereby greatly decrease thecost of paper.

A third important object of the invention is to provide an improvedconstruction of the back spacing device of such a typewriter whereby the75 key controlling the back spacer is so located as to be within easyand convenient reach of the operator.

A fourth important object of the invention is to improve the carriagerelease mechanism of such a typewriter.

A fifth important object of the invention is to the provision of a noveladjustable margin stop and guide whereby to enable the operator to useany width of paper Within the maximum 5 width for which the machine isdesigned and, at the same time, govern the starting point of eachsucceeding line so that all lines will be uniform.

A sixth important object of the invention is to provide a novelconstruction of the casing for the carriage return spring so that it isimpossible for the user to accidentally throw the carriage out ofadjustment.

A seventh important object of the invention is to provide a novelarrangement of enclosed die-punch case for prevention of dust and dirtcollecting in the working parts of the dies whereby to avoid frequentrepairs, cleaning and adjustment of these parts.

An eighth important object of the invention is to provide a novelarrangement of paper tension rollers adjustable for any thickness ofpaper.

A ninth important object of the invention is to provide a novelescapement mechanism and means for operating the same.

A tenth important object of the invention is to provide a novelarrangement of the matrix arm whereby the major portions of the backspacer and escapement mechanisms are housed beneath and protected by aportion of the matrix arm, the arm being mounted for swinging movewentso as to expose the parts covered thereby when desirable or necessary.

With the above and other objects in view,

as will presently be apparent, the invention consists in general ofcertain novel details of construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompany drawings, like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved type- Writer.

Figure 2 is a partial rear elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the left side of the typewriter.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken from front to rear ofthe machine and illustrating one of the keys and the die actuatedthereby.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation of the casing for thedie bars with the cover plate removed and the die bars exposed, one barbeing removed.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View with certain of the partsomitted, the view disclosing the back spacer and escapement mech- 2amsms.

Figure 8 is a detail plan view showing the back spacer mechanism inposition to prevent movement of the carriage during formation of aBraille character. 30

Figure 9 is a similar detail showing the back spacer in the positionassumed at the completion of the back spacing operation.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary section on the line l9l0 of Figure '7.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary section on the line ll-Il of Figure 7.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary section on the line I2l2 of Figure 7.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary section on the line 40 I3-I3 of Figure 7.

Figure 14 is an enlarged section on the line l4-l4 of Figure 12.

Figure 15 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the escapement pawl deviceused herein. 45

Figure 16 is an enlarged detail section on the line Iii-l6 of Figure 3.

Figure 17 is an end view of the roll for holding the paper to be writtenupon.

Figure 18 is a transverse section through the 5% paper holding roll.

Figure 19 is a fragmentary section showing the gearing operativelyconnecting the paper holding roll and the paper feed rolls.

Figure 20 is a fragmentary detail showing the at 41 is slidably mountedon the bars 44 and 46.

line stop.

The invention as herein illustrated includes a main frame indicated ingeneral at H]. Adjacent the rear of the frame It) is a cross-bar havinga depressed central portion |2. At each side of this depressed portion,the bar carries an upstanding lug or ear |3. A shaft |4 extends throughthe ears I3 and the ends of this shaft project. On these ends aremounted collars l5 which are secured in position on the shaft by setscrews l6 thus holding the shaft in proper position in the ears. Mountedcentrally on the shaft I4 is the rear end of a spacer key lever l1 whichprojects forwardly to lie over the front of the frame H1 and is thereprovided with the spacer key l8. At each side of the key I8 is a groupof three character keys l9 each carried by a lever having a forwardportion 28, a portion inclined inwardly from front to rear as at 2| anda rear portion 22. The front portions 28 are parallel to each other asare the portions 22. The portions 22 are pivotally mounted intermediatetheir ends on the shaft I4. Between the lever I1 and the adjacent leverportions 22 are washers 23 and between the several portions 22 andbetween the outer lever portions 22 and the ears l8 are washers 24. Thusthe several levers are held in properly spaced relation on the shaft M.The character key levers extend rearwardly and project through anopening 25 in the lower portion of the front wall 26 of a character barcasing 21. In this casing is fitted three pairs of complementarycharacter die bars, the bars of each pair being identical in form andsize but oppositely disposed. These character die bars comprise a rearpair 28, an intermediate pair 29 and a front pair 38. Each of these barscarries on its upper end a die pin 3| which, when the bar is movedupwardly, projects through a corresponding opening 32 in the top of thecasing 21. The lower ends of the several die bars are arranged instaggered relation, as best seen in Figure 6, and each lower end restson the rear end of a respective character key lever 24 so thatdepression of a respective key l9 protrudes a respective pin 3|. Eachdie bar is provided with a lateral arm 32 which extends out of a cut outportion 33 in a side wall of the casing 21. Tension springs 34 havetheir upper ends attached to the arms 33 and have their lower endsanchored to anchor bars 35. The rear of the casing 21 is closed by aremovable cover plate 36. These springs 34 serve to hold the die barsnormally depressed and thus to hold the keys l9 normally raised.

Formed integrally with and extending forwardly from the collars |5 is apair of arms 31 having their forward ends connected by a cross-bar 38forming a spacer bar. The bar 38 is provided with a felt cushion strip39 and extends beneath the key levers I1 and 26 so that depressing anyone of the keys l8 and I9 will effect depression of the spacer bar 38.The frame includes a cross bar 48. A bracket 4| having spaced andforwardly and upwardly extending arms 42 is secured to the front face ofthe bar 48 by screws 43. One of the screws 43 is also used to hold theupper end of a coiled tension spring 44 which has its lower end securedto the spacer bar 38 to hold the latter normally raised.

Secured to the frame sides at the upper parts thereof is a front guidebar 44 and secured to arms 45 projecting from the casing 21 is a rearguide bar 46. A carriage, indicated in general Mounted on the left sideof the frame I8 is a spring housing 48 containing the usual spiralspring (not shown) for rotating the housing on a shaft 49. The usualpawl and ratchet tensioning mechanism is indicated at 58 and is trolledby a knurled head 5| fixed on the shaft 49. Fixed to the carriage 41 isa ratchet bar 52 wherewith cooperates the escapement device indicated ingeneral at 53. The escapement herein used includes a body member 54having its for ward end mounted between opposed pivot screws 55 screwedthrough the arms 42 and held against accidental unscrewing by the locknuts 56. This body 54 has a bevelled nose 51 positioned for cooperationas a pawl with the ratchet bar 52. The body 54 has an angle bracket 58formed integrally therewith and depending from the body intermediate theends of the latter. A screw 59 extends through the body and bracket andconstitutes a pivot for a laterally swinging pawl 68 having a bevellednose 6|. A coiled tension spring 62 is connected to the forward end ofthe pawl 60 and is anchored to a pin 63 carried by the body 54. Thespring 62 normally biases the pawl 66 in the manner shown in Figures '1and 15 and the bracket 58 limits the swinging movement of the pawl 68 insuch manner that at the limit of its movement the nose 6| will alinewith the nose 51. Projecting forwardly from the bar 38 is a lug 64 whichcarries a screw 65 passing through a slot 66 in a vertical link 61. Theupper end of the link 61 is secured by a screw 68 to the body 54intermediate its ends. The screw 65 normally lies at the upper end ofthe slot 66. Also pivoted on the screw 65 is a second link 69 which liesalongside the link 61 and is provided with a slot 18 through whichextends a screw 1| which normally engages in the bottom of the slot 18.Spaced screws 12 engage respectively in the links 61 and 69 and areconnected by a spring 13 normally pulling the link 61 downwardly.

Normally the body 54 lies in an upwardly tilted position so that thepawl nose 6| engages a tooth of the ratchet bar 52. On the springhousing or casing 48 is wound a flexible strap 14 which has its endconnected to the carriage 41 so that the latter is constantly springurged to the left. Such movement is normally prevented by the engagementof the pawl nose 6|. When, however, any one of the keys l8 or IE! isdepressed the bar 38 will also be depressed. Consequently, the lug 64will be depressed and carry with it the link 69. By its springconnection with the link 61 the latter will also be depressed and thebody 54 will be tilted downwardly until the pawl nose 6| is freed fromthe ratchet bar 52. As this occurs the nose 51 will engage the sameratchet tooth as was previously engaged by the nose 6|. Thus, during thedownward movement of a key the carriage is held from movement to theleft. When the nose 6| moves below the ratchet bar 52, the spring 62biases the laterally swinging pawl into position for its nose 6| toengage the next succeeding ratchet tooth. When the depressed key isreleased the pawl body 54 tilts upwardly until its nose 51 rises toclear the ratchet bar 52 whereupon the carriage moves to the left untilthe nose 6|, which is now engaged, assumes its normal position ofalinement with the nose 51.

In order to effect release of the carriage so that it may move freely tothe left, there is provided at the right of the key-bank a carriagerelease key 15 mounted on the forward end of a lever I6 which is pivotedon a screw 11 fixed in the other mechanisms shown in Figure 'I and isseframe ID. This lever is normally held raised by a coiled tensionspring 18. A plate 19 is fixed t the frame I!) and journalled in thisplate and in the adjacent arm 42 (Fig. '7) is a rock-shaft 89 whichcarries an upwardly and forwardly extending rock arm 8| connected to thelever 16 by a link 82. The rock shaft 88 extends beneath the escapementpawls and is there provided with a rearwardly extending rock arm 83.When the key 15 is depressed the link 82 pulls the rock arm 8|downwardly and this tilts the rock arm 83 upwardly to engage and liftthe escapement pawls until the nose BI is lifted to clear the ratchetbar to allow the carriage free movement to the left.

This upward tilting of the pawls is permitted since the spring I3 yieldsand the link 61, by its pin and slot connection with the link 69, slidesupwardly with respect to the latter.

The back spacing mechanism is best seen in Figures 7 to 10. A bracket 84is fixed on the frame I8 and extends parallel to the ratchet bar 52.Pivoted to the right hand end of this bracket is one end of a short link85. the other end of which is pivoted to the corresponding end of a pawlbar 86 having a down turned nose 8'! at its left hand end forengagement, when operated, with the teeth of the ratchet bar 52. Thebracket 84 carries a pivot screw 88 spaced from the pivot of the link85. This screw passes through a slot 89 extending longitudinally of themiddle part of a lever 99. The lever 90 has its rear end pivotallyconnected to the pawl bar 86 adjacent the nose 81. A spring 9| has oneend connected to the lever 90 and its other end connected to the frameII! to hold the lever 99 normally biased to the position shown in Figure'7, and thus with the nose 8'! normally out of engagement with theratchet bar 52. At the left of the key-bank is a back spacer key 92carried by a lever 93 which is pivoted as at 94 to the left side of theframe II]. A spring 94 normally holds the lever 93 raised. The lever 93has connected thereto one end of a chain 95 which passes over an idlerpulley 96 and has its other end connected to the forward end of thelever 90. When the key 92 is depressed this pulls upon the chain 95. Dueto the inclined position of the lever 90, the latter is held with thescrew 88 in the forward end of the slot upon pull being exerted on thechain. Upon depression of the key to a certain extent, the nose 8'! willengage a tooth of the ratchet bar 52 and prevent movement to the left bythe carriage 41. This condition is desirable during the formation ofcertain of the characters formed by the machine since it is necessary tostrike certain of the keys in succession and normally this would permitaction of the escapement mechanism which is undesirable. This positionis shown in Figure 8. Further depression of the key 92 will move theparts to the position shown in Figure 9 and thus carry the ratchet bar52 and carriage 41 to the right, the pawl 50 yielding to permit thismovement and acting as a check pawl upon release of the key 92. When thekey 92 is released the spring 9| acts to restore the parts to theposition shown in Figure '7, the slot 89 allowing the lever to slideforwardly a sufficient extent to permit the nose 8'! to ride over theteeth of the ratchet bar 52.

The frame I0 is provided at each side of the keybank with an ear 96. Ahousing 91 is provided with coacting ears 98 which are pivoted to theears 96 by screws 99 (one only shown). This housing 91 normally coversthe back-spacing and cured in its covering or closed position by meansof hook levers or latches I00 which are pivoted to the frame and engagepins IIJI projecting laterally from the sides of the housing. Archingrearwardly from the housing 91 over the carriage is a matrix arm I82carrying on its rear end a matrix head I03 having matrix recesses I04corresponding with the die pins 3|.

In the sides of the cariage 41 are supported the journal ends I of apaper carrying or storage roller I86. This roll is longitudinallyrecessed as at I01 and in this recess is mounted a paper clamp I08 whichis pivoted between head plates IE9 and urged to clamping position by aspring II 0. Knobs III are secured to the journals of this roll toafford means for manually turning the same in rolling paper thereon atthe beginning of writing and unrolling the paper for effecting line byline feeding across the die set. A revoluble feed roll H2 is journalledin the carriage sides and is geared to the roller I06 by suitablegearing II3. An upper feed roll 4 lies above the roll H2 and isjournalled in a pair of brackets I I5 fixed on a bar H6.

The bar H6 is swingingly supported by a pair of forwardly extending armsII'I pivoted to the carriage sides. Rocker levers II8 are pivoted to thecarriage sides and engage the bar H6 and springs I I9 urge the forwardends of these levers |I8 downwardly so that the upper roller I I4 ispressed firmly toward the lower roller II2. In order. to raise the upperroller camming levers I29 are pivoted to the carriage sides and havecam. ends I2I which engage the rear ends of levers I I8 so thatactuating the levers I20 in the proper direction causes the bar H6 androller II4 to be raised. A spring pawl and ratchet device I22 isconnected with the lower feed roll to insure proper spacing of lines onthe paper being written upon.

A signal bell I23 is adjustably mounted at the rear of the machine forwarning the user when the end of a line is approached in writing and anadjustable carriage stop I24 is mounted on the bar 46. Also anadjustable margin stop I25 is mounted on the back bar I26 of thecarriage.

What is claimed, is

1. In a typewriter for the blind provided at its rear with a set ofcharacter forming elements, said typewriter further having a carriageprovided with a ratchet bar, and pawl members cooperating therewith; aframe supporting the character forming elements, carriage and pawlmembers, a hood hinged to said frame and normally extending rearwardlyfrom its hinge axis over said pawl members, and a character forming armfixed to said hood and extending rearwardly over the carriage toterminate above said character forming elements.

2. In a typewriter for the blind provided at its rear with a set ofcharacter forming elements, said typewriter further having a carriageprovided with a ratchet bar, and pawl members cooperating therewith; aframe supporting the character forming elements, carriage and pawlmembers, a hood hinged to said frame and normally extending rearwardlyfrom its hinge axis over said pawl members, a character forming armfixed to said hood and extending rearwardly over the carriage toterminate above said character forming elements, and latch memberspivoted on said frame and engaging said hood for holding the latterclosed.

3. In a typewriter for the blind having a frame 1 and a carriage mountedthereon for transverse sliding movement, said carriage being providedwith a ratchet bar, bracket means carried by said frame in front of saidratchet bar, a back spacing pawl and escapement pawls mounted on saidbracket means, a pair of hinge ears formed on said frame in front ofsaid bracket means, a hood pivoted between said ears and normallyextending rearwardly over said pawls to cover the same, characterforming means at the rear of said frame and a character forming armextending centrally fromv the upper part of said hood and arching oversaid carriage in the normal position of the hood to cooperate with thecharacter forming means.

4. In a typewriter for the blind having a frame and a carriage mountedthereon for transverse sliding movement, said carriage being providedwith a ratchet bar, bracket means carried by said frame in front of saidratchet bar, a back spacing pawl and escapement pawls mounted on saidbracket means, a pair of hinge ears formed on said frame in front ofsaid bracket means, a hood pivoted between said ears and normallyextending rearwardly over said pawls to cover the same, characterforming means at the rear of said frame, a character forming armextending centrally from the upper part of said hood and arching oversaid carriage in the normal position of the hood to cooperate with thecharacter forming means, pins projecting from the sides of said hoodrearwardly of its pivotal axis, and latch hooks pivoted on said frame toswing into and out of engagement with said pins.

JACOB STEFFEN.

